8,000 TV Licences due for renewal in NI

Almost 8,200 households in Northern Ireland could save money by renewing their TV Licence on time by 31 March, TV Licensing has announced today.

The TV Licensing database of more than 30 million addresses shows that these households all have licences that expire on 31 March, so can save £3.50 by renewing promptly before 1 April.

On 1 April, the cost of a colour licence will rise by £3.50 to £150.50. The cost of a black and white licence will rise from £49.50 to £50.50.

The Government is responsible for setting the level of the licence fee, and in 2016 announced that it would rise in line with inflation for five years from 1 April 2017. Last year, the fee increased, for the first time since 2010. The fee is lower than it was 25 years ago, taking into account inflation.

For £2.89 a week the BBC provides 9 TV stations, 10 national and 40 local radio stations, one of the UK’s most popular websites, and BBC iPlayer. The licence fee goes towards producing world class programming including Blue Planet II, Strictly Come Dancing, Three Girls, Doctor Foster, and Wimbledon coverage.

Karen Grimason, TV Licensing spokesperson for Northern Ireland said: “We know people are always looking for ways to make their money go further, which is why we are reminding people to renew their TV Licence before the end of the month.”

She added: “We offer a range of ways to spread the cost, including Direct Debit and weekly cash payments at one of 28,000 PayPoint outlets around the country.”

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